More retail interest shown in LNG refuelling networks

Norwegian company Liquegas is gearing up to follow BOC-Linde&#8217;s lead and build retail liquid natural gas (LNG) stations in Queensland

Norwegian company Liquegas is gearing up to follow BOC-Linde’s lead and build retail liquid natural gas (LNG) stations in Queensland and New South Wales.

A deal has been finalised between Liquegas and Queensland-based energy consortium Arrow Energy, which will supply coal seam methane (CSM) to the proposed Liquegas operations.

The ‘retail’ type LNG stations will be targeted at long-distance transportoperators starting in southern Queensland and NSW.

Arrow Managing Director Nick Davies says CSM suits small-scale LNG for road transport because it is widely distributed and is often near major roads and transport hubs.

Liquegas is aiming for "first gas" in 2009, which will make it the world’s first operating CSM-LNG project.

Meanwhile Bow Energy, which is also Queensland based, is looking at sourcing LNG from CSM. Its Managing Director Ron Prefontaine says "small-scale liquefaction would be a useful form of value-adding for [our] up-coming south-west Queensland CSM production".

Bow is investigating the feasibility of an LNG pilot plant and is hoping to commission the operation in 2010.

Linde-BOC — the gas company behind LNG Re-fullers (LNGR) out of Tasmania — has secured French company Cryostar to construct the retail component of its LNG venture.

Managing Director Alex Dronoff says it is "all systems go".

"The suppliers of LNGR’s fleet fuelling stations, Cryostar are coming down from France next week," he says.

"We have plans to roll it out nation-wide in the next three to four years across the eastern seaboard."